The ShinigamiFather
by Agent HUNK
Summary: AU of Bleach in the Gangster Era. Ichigo and Rukia find themselves falling for each other, despite being members of rival crime families. With plenty of romance, action, and shoot outs, this story will be sure to keep you on the edge of your seat!
1. Rat Trap

I have no idea how or why I came up with this idea. It justed popped into my head one day...

Okay, if you've never seen the Godfather, don't worry. This is just set in that time and place. It isn't a total parody of it. Thus, don't expect everything from the movie to happen in this story. In fact, don't expect many things from the movie to happen in this story.

Anyway, here's my twisted vision of what Bleach would be like as a 1920's American mafia story. Enjoy...

Oh, right... Disclaimer: I DON'T OWN BLEACH OR THE GODFATHER!!!

This was originally posted in my Random Bleach Tales story, but it has been altered and re-written for this publication. I hope you all enjoy it!

* * *

_My name is Ichigo Kurasaki. I am 15 years old. Ever since I was a boy, I've commited unspeakable crimes for the Kurasaki Family._

Ichigo adjusted his tie as he approached the door to his father's office. He removed his hat from his head and held it in his left hand while he knocked on the door with his right. "Come in," came a reply from the other side. Ichigo let out a small sigh as he opened the door. His father needed him to do something. Usually, that something was highly illegal or morally wrong.

"Good afternoon," Ichigo greeted his father as he entered the room.

"Greetings, my son," Isshin smiled from his seat behind the desk at the back of the room. Wearing a black suit, red tie, and holding a smouldering cigar in his hand, he looked like a very powerfull person. And he was. Isshin Kurasaki was a Godfather. He led the Kurasaki crime family, one of Chicago's biggest mafia organizations. On the outside, he was a humble businessman. On the inside, he was a puppetmaster, controlling all sorts of bootlegging operations, speak-easies, and other criminal activities.

"You wanted to see me about something, Dad?" Ichigo put his hat back on his head and adjusted it. Wearing a grey suit, red tie, and white hat, he looked like any normal Mafia enforcer. But he stood out from the rest quite vibrantly, thanks to his bright orange hair and his trademark grimace.

"Yes, my son," Isshin reached into his desk and withdrew a collection of files and papers. He placed them on the desk and gestured for Ichigo to read them. "Take a look..."

"Hm..." Ichigo walked over to his father's desk and opened up some of the file folders. He quickly skimmed through them, a frown forming on his face as he read. "A rat?"

"Yes, it seems that we have an informant amongst our ranks," Isshin's cold eyes focused on his son's. His face was without expression, and his voice held a tone of the utmost seriousness. "I want you take care of him."

"A hit?" Ichigo arched a brow. "You want me to whack one of our own guys?"

"Yes, my son. I trust you can take care of it without any problems," Isshin leaned back into his chair and puffed on his cigar casually.

"Don't worry, Dad," Ichigo reached into his suit jacket and withdrew a handgun. He pulled back the slide and grinned at the resulting _click-clack_ the weapon made. "There won't be any problems."

"Excellent, excellent," Isshin smiled. "Not that there ever are with you, my son. You're the best of the best."

"What's the poor sap's name?" Ichigo placed the gun back beneath his jacket.

"Ishida Uryu."

---------------------

Standing on the sidewalk of a semi-deserted street, Ichigo casually smoked a cigarette as he waited for his target. It was the dead of night, and a light rainfall had started. Other than the occassion homeless guy, the streets were deserted. No witnesses was Ichigo's policy. Other guys may have had no problem gunning down guys in broad daylight, but Ichigo prefered private executions. Less trouble, less mess, less chance of getting caught. Ichigo checked his watch by the light of a streetlamp. It was 9:24 P.M. The restaraunt across the street would be closing any minute.

Ichigo could see inside the small shop from across the street. It was a well-lit little bistro, and it was very much empty. Other than the waitress and the store owner, there were only two men inside the restaurant. A red-headed guy that Ichigo didn't recognize, and the target: Ishida Uryu. Ichigo had never really liked Ishida, so he had no qualms with blowing the poor slob's brains out. Again, Ichigo was different from other gangsters. He didn't want to get the waitress and owner involved, while most guys would have simply gone in guns blazing. He hated innocent casualties, even if they were an everyday occurance in gang wars.

Ichigo checked his watch again. 9:30. Sure enough, the waitress was motioning for the two men to leave. Ishida and his dinner-mate both stood up, handed her some money, and headed for the door. They stepped outside into the rain, bid each other farewell, and went their seperate ways. Ichigo watched as Ishida walked down the street across from him, oblivious to his coming demise. Once the red-haired guy was out of sight, Ichigo crept across the street. The rainfall masked the sound of his footsteps. He quickly closed the distance between him and Ishida. "You know what you do with a rat?" Ichigo asked the man in front of him.

"What's that?" Ishida's voice was shaky as he answered him. Ichigo drew his pistol and leveled it with his target's head.

"You exterminate it," Ichigo smirked as he pulled the trigger.

---

"Yeah... the rat is in the trap," Ichigo held the phone tightly to his face. Huddled in a phone booth, he could hear sirens in the distance. "The cat's are coming out to play, too."

"Excellent," Isshin's smooth and relaxed voice replied through the phone. "Find a place to hide out until the heat dies down. Buy yourself some dinner."

"I don't have much of an appetite right now," Ichigo couldn't handle any food after what he'd done. He had no remorse... just a weak stomach.

"So go get a drink," Isshin advised him. "Give yourself an alibi, at least."

"Hm..." Ichigo knew a good place to get a drink, and everyone knew him there. The perfect alibi...

"Just be back in an hour. I might have another chore for you, son," Isshin informed him. "Good bye."

"See ya," he hung up the phone. The sounds of the police sirens had begun to grow closer. They were searching for the killer... Ichigo threw open the door to the phone booth and walked briskly down the sidewalk. A few blocks later, the sirens grew even louder. Just as a police car turned the corner in front of Ichigo, he ducked into a small restaraunt. The cops didn't notice him, and their car continued to drive along down the street.

"Phew..." Ichigo sighed. "That was close..." He turned around and looked at the dim-lit bistro he had entered. A few guys were sitting around eating romantic dinners with lady friends, and a few others were eating simple meals and drinking wine. Yep, this was the place... Now he just had to find Chad.

* * *

Bang bang, Ishida's toast. Let me explain to anybody who doesn't understand: Isshin is a mob boss, Ichigo is his son and number one hitman, and Ishida is a dead double-crosser. Most, if not all, of the characters in Bleach will show up in this story as alternate portrayels.

I hope you enjoyed the first chapter. Please feel free to give me feedback and reviews. Advice, criticism, flames, whatever you feel like saying. I just want to know what you think. So, please review:)


	2. Stocks and Stuff

Sweet! People actually find this story interesting and worth reading!

Time for a History lesson, folks! Organized Crime in America reached a high point during the late 20's. Prohibition, the law banning alcohol in America during the 1920's, caused people to look for ways to get their alcohol. People turned to crime organizations that would smuggle booze, moonshine, and other forms of alcohol from Canada into America. They then resold the alcohol to small bars that operated illegally behind closed doors. These were called Speakeasies.

Okay, that's enough for today. Lets get back to the story!

Disclaimer: I still don't own Bleach or the Godfather. And I probably never will...

* * *

_Nobody's looking..._ Ichigo checked the other patrons of the restaraunt. They were all either too busy talking or drinking to pay him any attention. He started to creep off down a small hall to the bathroom. However, instead of going in there, he reached out to grab the doorknob to an "Employees Only" room. 

But he was interupted by a tap on the shoulder and a soft-spoken "Excuse me..." Ichigo turned around and found himself dwarfed by a giant of a man. Wearing a normal waiter's uniform with black pants, white long-sleeve shirt, and red vest, the man had to duck to avoid the ceiling, and it was a miracle he could see through the long brown hair that covered his eyes. His nametag said one simple word: Chad.

"Yeah?" Ichigo took an involuntary step backwards. "What is it?"

"That door is for employees only," he pointed at the sign. "You aren't allowed in there."

"Oh yeah? Says who?" Ichigo defiantly replied.

"Says me," Chad popped his knuckles. Ichigo stared at him, and an tense silence followed. They both suddenly burst into laughter. "I haven't seen you in awhile, Ichigo," Chad smiled, which seemed to clash with his intimidating appearance.

"Same here, buddy," Ichigo smirked. "How's it going?"

"Very well," Chad nodded. "You can go on in," he said as he opened the Employees Only door for his friend.

"Thanks, Chad," Ichigo tipped his hat to him as he walked through the door. Chad closed the door behind him, and checked over his shoulder to make sure nobody had seen him go back there. Of course, nobody would have cared. They all knew what was back there...

---

Ichigo's usual grimace was replaced by a smile as he surveyed the room in front of him. This was his favorite Speakeasy, with a well-stocked bar, plenty of tables, and a jazz band always on hand. "Well look who is is!" a girl with bright orange hair and a uniform like Chad's chimed from behind the counter. "Ichigo!"

"Hey, Orihime," he waved at the girl as he removed his coat and put it on a coat-rack. "How are you doing?"

"Pretty good. Business is doing good, too," Orihime smiled. She placed a bottle on the counter in front of her and motioned for Ichigo to take a seat. "On the house..."

"Thanks," Ichigo sat down at the bar and took a sip from the bottle. "So what's the news?"

"Well..." Orihime looked around to make sure none of the other patrons were listening, "The Shoten Gang is getting in a shipment tommorrow..."

"What kind of shipment?" Ichigo's eyebrows arched, and he leaned closer to hear her better.

"Thompsons... lots of 'em..." she whispered. "And he's selling 'em cheap, too."

"Cheap?" Ichigo grinned. Nothing was better than a Tommy Gun at a low price. He'd have to inform his dad of the deal later. But for now, he just wanted to sit back and enjoy his drink.

Somebody sat down on the stool to the right of Ichigo. He didn't pay them any attention until they started talking. "Lousy weather, isn't it?" Ichigo was caught off guard by a young woman's voice. He turned to face the person next to him, and almost choked on his drink when he saw her.

It was the waitress from earlier. The one who had been serving Ishida and his "friend" while he waited outside.

_Uh oh. _"Uh..." Ichigo fumbled for his words. "Yeah..."

He was having trouble finding what to say for two reasons: One, he didn't know if she had seen him, or if she knew who he was. Two, she was beautiful. With long raven hair and violet eyes, she was quite the looker and a gorgeous dame.

"I don't think I've seen you here before," she looked him over.

"I haven't been here in awhile..." Ichigo shifted his head to the side and looked down at the floor. He didn't know why, but he could look at her. He didn't know if it was because of her beauty, or the fact that he could have killer her earlier.

"Oh? Well, I guess that's why I haven't seen you. I'm new in town..." she informed him. "Chicago is nice. But the weather isn't..."

"You get use to the weather..." Ichigo shrugged. "It isn't always bad. So what brings you to Sunny Chicago?"

"My brother owns a business in town," she replied. "He wanted me to move here so he could take care of me."

"Really?" Ichigo had gotten over her inability to look at her by now. "What kind of business?"

"Oh, nothing big..." she averted her gaze to the floor. "Just stocks and stuff..."

"Stocks and stuff..." Ichigo nodded his head in agreement. _Funny._ _That's dad's business, too._

"How 'bout you?" the woman turned the topic towards him. "What's your family do?"

"Meh..." Ichigo shrugged. "Stocks and stuff..."

"No kidding..." she smiled.

"I know, funny isn't it?" Ichigo smiled. Sure, the conversation was a bit odd, but the dame was cute and they were getting along fine.

At least until a certain red-haired man showed up.

Ichigo froze when he saw the man enter the Speakeasy. It was the same guy Ishida had been talking too. His heart began to race, especially when the man began to walk towards him. In fact, the guy was looking at him. Ichigo swore mentally, having left his pistol in his coat. The man grew closer and closer, until he was right in front of Ichigo. He was expecting the guy to pull a gun, or whip out a knife. But instead, he tapped the girl on the shoulder.

"Hm?" she turned around. "Oh, hello Renji!"

"Good evening, Rukia," the man replied in a tense tone.

"Rukia?" Ichigo turned to face his lady friend. "Your name is Rukia?"

"Yeah," she nodded and smiled. "Rukia Kuchiki."

Ichigo's mind went numb. Kuchuki. Byakuya Kuchiki. The leader of the Kuchuki Family, and the main enemy of the Kusasaki Family. This was his sister. Her brother was the enemy. She was the enemy!

"And your name is?" she asked him. Ichigo fumbled for his words. If he said his real name, Mr. Redhead might shoot him in the skull. But she was nice... Maybe she'd see past the fact that they were mortal enemies and think he was nice too? Like Romea and Juliet... _Too bad Romea died..._

"My name..." Ichigo stammered. "My name... Its..."

"Ichigo Kurasaki!" Orihime suddenly chimed happily from behind the counter where she was cleaning glasses. "His name is Ichigo Kurasaki!"

"Thank you, Orihime..." Ichigo forced himself to smile at her. _Thanks for getting me killed..._

* * *

Cliff hangers suck, don't they? Heh heh... Give me lots of reviews, and I might write a new chapter tommorrow! (I'll probably do it anyway...)


	3. Kurosaki Dog

To clear up any confusion, everyone looks the same as they do in the anime. They just have different roles... Somebody thought Rukia had longer hair, but I simply assumed her hair would be described as... well... long.

Time for another History Lesson! The Mafia believed in something called the Omerta. This was a code of silence, under which anybody accused of or involved with a crime couldn't give the authorities any information regarding the true criminals or related events. Even witnesses followed the code, and often the victims of crimes wouldn't report them, so as not to break the Omerta. Breaking the Omerta was punishable by death at the hands of the Mafia.

Why is that important? Well, it kinda explains why Ishida is sorta dead now. If you find this info boring... skip it! But I think it will help you understand certain details in this fic...

Story time!

* * *

"Ichigo Kurasaki?" Rukia tilted her head to the side, unsure of what to say. "Is that really your name?" 

"Er..." Ichigo had to think fast. _Stay calm. Act cool. Don't get shot. Yeah, lets try not to get shot..._

"You're a Kurasaki?" Renji growled.

"What if I am?" Ichigo smirked. "You gonna shoot me in front of all these witnesses?"

The look on Renji's face pretty much said "Yes" to that. But before he could do anything, Rukia jumped to her feet. "Relax, Renji. We were just talking..."

"You're talking to the enemy!" Renji snarled.

"So?" Ichigo tried to look innocent, which was hard since all he ever did was grimace. "I was just talking to her about the weather."

"Hmph, I'll bet..." Renji growled. "Kurasaki dog..."

"Watch the language, there are ladies present," Ichigo nodded towards Rukia.

"I'm sure you'd say worse about us if you got the chance..." Renji replied.

"This is pointless..." Rukia sighed. "Can we just sit down and enjoy our drinks?"

"No, we've got to go..." Renji shook his head. "There's a problem..."

"What's the problem?" Rukia asked.

"Ishida got gunned down... The Kurasaki's figured it out, so they killed him," Renji looked over at Ichigo, who had a shocked expression on his face. "Oh, don't pretend you didn't know it! You're the Don's son, I'm sure he filled you in..." Ichigo's shocked expression grew stoic.

"Meh, I never liked him anyway..." Ichigo shrugged.

"See? The Kurasaki's are heartless thugs. You'd better be glad they didn't just come in the shop and take us out, too!" Renji really didn't like Ichigo, it seemed.

"Hah!" Ichigo scoffed. "The Kurasakis don't get innocent people involved! I dunno about you, but we've got standards!"

"See, he's insulting your family!" Renji pointed at Ichigo.

"Actually, that was aimed at you, not the Kuchiki's..." Ichigo smirked.

"You dirty..." Renji started to move forward, but Rukia grabbed his arm. The glare she shot him made him back down. "Hmph... Come on Rukia, lets get out of here..." he ordered her as he walked away, leading her by the arm.

Rukia sighed as she walked away. "Good bye, Kurasaki," she growled over her shoulder. Her voice was laced with disdain, but the wink she gave Ichigo cancelled any ill-will the comment would have shown.

"Good bye, Kuchiki..." Ichigo huffed angrilly, but he winked as well. He watched calmly as that Renji guy led his "enemy" to the entrance. Renji opened the door, stuck his head out, and then suddenly slammed it shut.

"Cops!" Renji whispered hoarsely.

"Huh?!" several patrons of the Speakeasy turned their attention towards him, and the band stopped playing. Dead silence followed.

---

"No, officer, I haven't seen any suspicious people this evening..." Chad shook his head at the police officer in front of him. The man barely came up to his chest, but the officer still seemed to think he was in charge.

"I'm sure ya haven't..." he grumbled with a Scottish accent. "We've also been recieved reports about illegal activies taking place here."

"Illegal activies?" Chad acted suprised. "I have no clue about that."

"I'm sure ya don't..." the officer shook his head. Suddenly, a door slammed. "What was that?" the officer looked down the hallway where the noise had come from. "What's down there?"

"Nothing..." Chad shook his head. "Just bathrooms and a broom closet."

"Broom closet?" the officer glared at him. "Lets see what kind of brooms you've got..." The officer walked over to the door and paused.

---

Renji was pressed up against the door with all his weight, his hands tightly gripping a revolver. Sweat was dripping down his face, and he had a white-knuckle grip on the pistol. He listened closely to the footsteps outside the door, and everyone in the Speakeasy held their breath. He closed his eyes and waited for the man outside to make the first move. The sound of a doorknob being turned made Renji's pulse quicken, and he pressed harder against the door. The man outside tried to push it open, but it wouldn't budge. He tried again, and then again.

---

"What's the problem with this thing?" the officer growled.

"There's a broom stuck against it," Chad shrugged. "We haven't been able to open it in three weeks."

"Hm..." the cop scratched his chin. "Okay then..." he walked back to the front of the restaraunt. "Thanks for your time, and I'm sorry to bother you." With that, he walked out the front door.

"Phew..." Chad sighed once the man had left. Everyone in the restaraunt went back to their meals. He knocked softly on the Employees Only door. "All clear..."

Inside the restaraunt, everyone let out a deep sigh. "That was close..." Renji sighed, allowing himself to slide down onto the floor. "I need a second..." he panted.

"Well, that was interesting..." Ichigo wiped some sweat from his brow.

Chad had just walked back to the front of the restaraunt to take somebody's order, when suddenly the front door opened. Into the room walked the police officer from seconds before. And this time, he had brought friends. About 7 other cops were with him, and they didn't look happy. "Alright, everyone freeze. This is a raid!" the police officer yelled.

* * *

Bum... bum... BUMMMMM!!!!!! That can't be good! Will there be trouble? Will there be violence?! WILL PEOPLE DIE?!

More than likely, yes, yes, and yes. Review please, and plead for the lives of your favorite characters! BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!!


	4. Quite the Night

So many good reviews! I'm so happy! Thank you all, and I'm so glad you like the story!

Meh, no history lesson today. I'm feeling too lazy to think. Hah...

* * *

Everyone panicked. There was no subtle attempts to escape, or well-thought plans to avoid attention. Everyone just started screaming and trying to find the backdoor. Needless to say, the cops heard the clamour in the Speakeasy and barged in through the Employees Only door before anyone could barricade it. Chaos erupted, and it got worse when several cops kicked in the backdoor and rushed into the fray. Whistles were blowing, people were screaming, fists were flying, and Ichigo was in the middle of it. 

_This is bad, this is bad!_ Ichigo thought as he shook himself free from the grasp of an officer. "Let go of me!" Ichigo growled as another cop grabbed him by the arm. Ichigo punched him in the jaw and sent him sprawling. _Assaulting an officer... Great... _

"Get your hands off me!" a familiar voice snarled. Ichigo looked over his shoulder and saw Renji being held in a headlock by another officer. Rukia was in turn hanging off the cops back, trying to get him in a headlock as well. Ichigo rolled his eyes. He may have been a crook, but he had morals.

"Hey, you heard the guy!" Ichigo yelled as he ran over to help his enemy. He threw a punch, hoping to hit the cop. But instead the man turned to the side and placed Renji's face in the way of the attack.

**_WHAM!_**

"You broke my nose!" Renji yelped as blood poured from his nostrils.

"What's the big idea!?" the officer yelled.

"Sorry, my mistake!" Ichigo threw another punch, this time hitting the cop in the face and knocking him out. The cop collapsed to the floor, and Rukia dragged Renji out the backdoor. Ichigo turned to head for the exit, but as he did two cops jumped in front of it. Three other officers were standing near Ichigo as well.

And they all had revolvers aimed at him.

"FREEZE!!!" one officer yelled.

"Uh oh..." Ichigo looked around for some way to escape. But there wasn't one. He was rather screwed. Or so it seemed.

The Employees Only door suddenly flew open, and a rather large man with a pair of handcuffs hanging from one wrist charged into the room. Before anyone could react, the "gentle giant" Chad tackled two of the cops near Ichigo and threw the third one across the room, knocking down the other two officers. "RUN!!!" Chad yelled.

He didn't have to tell Ichigo twice. Without a second thought, he sprinted across the room and jumped over the jumble of stunned cops. He ran out the backdoor, avoided the grasps of two more police officers waiting outside, and ran off into the night. He kept running for several blocks, until he finally stopped to catch his breath in an alley. "What... a... night..." he gasped between pants. He'd blown off a coworker's head, met a hot dame, found out said dame was his enemy, saved the dame and her friend from the cops, and left one of his best friends to die. Yep, he'd had quite the night.

Ichigo waited for a few minutes before leaving the alley. The rain was pouring down heavily now, and he was pretty much lost. After a few minutes of wandering around, he found a phone booth. He called his dad and waited for a response. "Hello?" the voice of Don Isshin answered.

"Hey, Dad... um... yeah, there's been a problem..." Ichigo was still breathing heavily.

"A problem? What kind of problem?" Isshin asked.

"Big problems..." Ichigo replied.

"Hm..." Isshin paused for a second to think. "Well, where are you?"

"I'm in a phone booth..." Ichigo looked at a streetsign next to the phone booth. "On the corner of 5th and Vine."

"Alright... I'll send somebody to pick you up..." Isshin informed him. "Good bye."

"See ya," Ichigo hung up the phone. No less than 5 minutes later, a car pulled up next to the phone booth.

"Get in, Ichigo..." the driver gestured for him to hop in. Ichigo threw open the passenger side door and scrambled into the car.

"Lets go, Kon..." Ichigo muttered as he relaxed into the passenger side seat.

"No problem," Kon replied. He was a rather mysterious Kurosaki enforcer. He always wore his coat with the collar turned up, and that combined with the way he tilted his hat always kept his face obscured from view. Ichigo had never really seen what he looked like, in fact. "So where to?"

"Home..." Ichigo sighed. "Just take me home..."

---

"So how did it go?" Don Isshin Kurosaki asked his son who was sitting in the chair in front of his desk.

"What, the hit?" Ichigo scratched his chin. "Good, I guess."

"So what happened?" Isshin pulled a cigar out of his front shirt pocket.

"I went to Chad's place, had a drink, met a girl..." Ichigo tried to think of how he would explain everything.

"A girl, eh?" Isshin searched his desk for a lighter. "Has my son finally found himself a nice dame?"

"The dame turned out to be Don Byakuya Kuchiki's sister," Ichigo replied.

Isshin went silent. He seemed to be thinking deeply. "You don't say? Well, what happened?"

"One of their thugs showed up," Ichigo shrugged. "Me and the guy argued, but she kept him under control. Then the cops showed up..."

"The cops?" Isshin took a puff on his now-lit cigar. "How'd that work out?"

"I'm probably wanted for assaulting an officer, evading arrest, et cetra..." Ichigo smirked. "The usual."

"I'll pull some strings..." Isshin exhaled a cloud of smoke. "You won't have anything to worry about."

"Oh, and the Shoten Gang got a shipment of Tommy Guns in," Ichigo suddenly remembered what Orihime had told him.

"Tommy Guns, eh?" Isshin smoked stoicly, not seeming to care that much.

"Half the usual price, too," Ichigo told him.

"You don't say?" Isshin's eyes lit up. "Well then, I think you'll be paying Mr. Urahara a visit tommorrow."

* * *

I considered a big shootout in the bar, but too many people would have gotten in the way. But don't worry... There will be several gun battles in this story. I just have to figure out how to get them started... 

Review, please!


	5. Author's Note

Cough, cough. I am sorry, but I will not be updating any of my stories for the next few days. I have come down with a bout of Bronchitis, and it has prevented me from writing all week. I cannot concentrate, and anything I write down is rather lacking in its usual style and touch. I should be back up to speed by Monday, I hope.

In an interesting turn of events, Spike TV is hosting a Gangster Marathon Sunday. The Godfather 1 and 2 will be on in the afternoon. I'll be watching them of course. I'd suggest my readers at least watch a few minutes of the 1st one. I've never seen the 2nd one, actually.

Advice and suggestions would be appreciated. I've only got a few ideas left for this story. In fact, its the only story I have any ideas left for at all. My idea well is bone dry for all my Hellsing, Bleach, and other stories. So please give me so ideas!

Anything else I need to say in this note? Hm... Bronchitis sucks, and shots hurt. Yeah, that's about it for this note.

Oh yeah, I've been playing Final Fantasy X to pass my time. I forgot how fun that game was. Once I finish up most of my stories, me and Dr. Insane-O (my friend who has co-starred in quite a few of my other stories) are considering writing a Final Fantasy story or two. We'll have to wait and see, of course.

Well, I guess I'll update for real when I feel better. See you all in a few days!


	6. Plot Twists Galore

I'm alive. Just thought I'd let you know that... And I've broken the rusty cage of writer's block that was encasing this story, and now I've got plenty of ideas. In fact, I went ahead and thought up the entire plot line. I've just got to figure out a few more character roles...

Right, I'm sure you're tired of waiting. Lets get back to the trigger-happy Bleachiness!

Disclaimer: I own nothing. So don't sue me.

* * *

Ichigo's antics had caused problems. Many, many problems. Don Isshin had to pull a lot of strings in order to avoid arrest warrants for Ichigo, and he also had to bail Chad and Orihime out of jail. Oh, the wonders of threatening prosecutors and their families... Don Isshin had also reprimanded Ichigo quite a bit for his behavior. As for the whole _I-met-a-Kuchuki-and-she-was-smokin'-fine_ thing, Don Isshin only said this: "Never judge a book by its cover. The same goes for women. She may seem innocent, but she's still a Kuchiki. I'd watch my step around her, Son." 

Now, two days after the shooting and bar fight, Ichigo had a new mission. He was to go meet Urahara for a business deal. Urahara Kisuke was a local house painter. He wore a set of white over-alls, a green undershirt, and a strange floppy white-and-green hat which tended to cast an ominous shadow over his face. But his jovial attitude dispelled any doubts caused by that. And Ichigo had made deals with him before, both in paint and in other shadowy subjects. Today, Ichigo was wearing a crisp white suit, a red tie, and a white hat. He also had a small calibur revovler tucked inside of his suit, and he probably wouldn't end up needing that, but Yuzu wouldn't allow him to leave home without it.

Yuzu, Ichigo's youngest sister, did a lot of unimportant work for the Kurosaki family. Young and innocent, Don Isshin prefered to keep her out of the Family's business, but he allowed her to help with paperwork and such other tasks, and of course everyone who worked for the Family loved her cooking. She was very protective of her big brother, and always made sure he was as safe as possible. Even if it meant loading him down with useless weapons in case he ran into an ambush while walking down the street to get a paper. Ichigo's other sister, Karin, on the other hand was a lot more involved with the Family's business. She assigned jobs, organized hits, made deals, and could shoot just as well as any other man working with the Kurosaki Family.

After walking for quite awhile down many city streets, Ichigo finally found and entered Urahara's shop. It was a small building, with a little reception area in the front and a large paint storage room in the back. But when Ichigo entered the reception area, he found it to be empty. "Huh?" Ichigo looked around, perplexed and slightly suspicious. "Where's Mr. Kisuke?"

"Huh?" a voice came from the back room. The curtain in the doorway between the two areas shifted slightly, and the hatted head of Urahara Kisuke poked through it. "Ichigo!? You're early!"

"No, I'm not," Ichigo frowned. "You just didn't pay attention to our arrangements..."

"Oh..." Urahara stared at him for a moment, and then nodded towards the door. "Well, go away. I'm busy right now."

"Busy?" Ichigo growled in a low voice. "Busy with who? **I'm** the one you're supposed to be dealing with."

"What's wrong?" Ichigo heard somebody whisper from the back room. "Who's out there?"

"What a minute..." Ichigo narrowed his eyes. "I think I've heard that voice before..."

"Voice?" Urahara looked around, feigning confusion. "What voice?"

"This is taking too long..." Without warning, the curtain was pushed aside completely, and Renji Abarai stepped into the reception. Wearing a grey suit, he had a pistol in his hand, serious look on his face, and a bandage over his nose. "Listen pal, if you don't-" Renji's eyes widened as he suddenly realized who was standing in front of him. "**YOU!!!"**

"Yes, me!" Ichigo grinned. "I see your nose is healing up quite nice..."

"You broke it!" Renji snarled. He started to raise the pistol in his hand, but he stopped before he'd moved it more than a few inches. He seemed to be having trouble pointing a weapon at him. "Grrr..." he growled, the pistol shaking in his hand as his brain tried to calculate what to do.

"What's wrong, having trouble shooting the guy who helped you out?" Ichigo smirked. He knew that Renji wouldn't shoot him, although he wasn't too sure why.

"No," Renji spat back at his rival. "I just know that Rukia would kill me if I did anything to you..."

"Eh?" Ichigo involuntarily arched an eyebrow. "What now?"

"She's been talking a lot about you..." Renji grumbled as he shoved his pistol back into his coat. "Even telling the Boss that the Kurosakis aren't as bad as he's always said..."

"Oh, really?" Ichigo smirked. "What else did she say?"

"I really don't think you're supposed to know any of this..." Renji grumbled. "In fact, I'm not even supposed to be talking to you."

"Heh, right..." Ichigo chuckled. "So, Urahara, who's going to get the deal?"

"Deal?" Urahara looked back and forth at both of them. "What deal?"

"The Tommy Guns..." Renji grumbled. "Why else would I be here?"

"I thought you were here for paint, actually..." Urahara shrugged. "You didn't say anything about those before Ichigo showed up. You just kept talking about making a deal... And I thought you were here for paint, too, Ichigo!"

"Urahara..." Ichigo was losing his patience, as was evident through his slow and deliberate way of saying the next sentence. "Why _wouldn't_ we be here for the Tommy Guns?"

"Because I sold them all yesterday," Urahara replied with a nervous smile.

Both gangsters stared at the weapons dealer for a few seconds. Then in unison they both screamed: "WHAT?!"

"I sold them all yesterday..." Urahara shrugged. "You guys just kept saying on the phone this morning that you wanted a box of my newest shipment. And my newest shipment was paint!"

"Who did you sell them to?" Renji sighed.

"Customer confidentiallity," Urahara smirked. "Would you want me telling people about all of the things you guys have bought from me before?"

"Urgh..." Ichigo sighed. "I see your point..."

"But the Kurosaki and Kuchiki Families are my best customers, so..." Urahara's smirk deepened. "It was Gin Ichimaru..."

"Gin Ichimaru?" Renji arched an eyebrow.

"Don Aizen's henchman?" Ichigo arched an eyebrow as well.

"What's Don Aizen need with Tommy Guns? His organization doesn't have enough men or money for something like that..." Renji scratched his chin.

"I guess something fishy is going on..." Ichigo commented grimly.

"Well, whatever it is, you didn't hear about from me!" Urahara exclaimed cheerily. He then pointed at the front door. "Now get out of here. I've got a _real_ customer coming in soon, and I can't be seen associating with common thugs!"

Both men did as they were told. They headed out the front door and turned to go their seperate ways. But as they did so, they both turned back to tell each other something. "Kurosaki..." Renji growled, "Just so you know, the next time I see you, I won't hesitate to shoot you."

"Yeah, whatever," Ichigo smirked again as Renji walked away. "And if it isn't too much trouble for you, tell Rukia I said "hi" for me, will ya?" Renji didn't reply. "I'll take that as a no..." Ichigo chuckled as he walked away as well. "Well, I'm sure Dad will be glad to hear that we got beat to the chase..."

Neither Ichigo nor Renji noticed that they had been being watched as they walked away. Parked on a street corner a few buildings down from Urahara's shop was a car, and the three men inside of it had been watching both men's every move. "So, that's Don Isshin's brat?" the man in the driver seat muttered.

"Yep, and the other guy is Don Byakuya's 2nd in command..." the man in the passenger seat passenger grumbled.

"You want us to follow one of them, sir?" the driver looked at the man in the back seat.

"No, no, that won't be neccissary..." the man in charge waved his hands gently. "We've got what we came for..."

"And that would be?" the 2nd man asked.

"Evidence that the Kurosaki and Kuchiki Families are still under a cease-fire..." the man in the back seat smirked.

"What's that got to do with anything?" the driver asked.

"Oh, it has everything to do with _everything_..." the man replied slyly.

"Whatever you say, Mr. Ichimaru..." the driver sighed. "Where to now, sir?"

"Back to base, boys..." Gin Ichimaru's fox-like smirk deepened. "I'm sure Don Aizen will be thrilled to hear this..."

* * *

THE PLOT THICKENS!!!!!!

To clarify:

Ichigo likes Rukia. (Stating the obvious...)

Renji doesn't want to kill Ichigo because he is afraid of what Rukia will do. (And he respects Ichigo, but he'd never admit that...)

Urahara is nuetral, but he likes the Kurosaki and Kuchiki Families. (Kurosaki the most.)

Gin Ichimaru bought the guns for Don Aizen, who's Family is really small compared to the other ones. (Think about the first part of Isshin's advice...)

Don Aizen is planning something! (Are you suprised?)

Okay, that's about everything. The next update will be soon, I hope. PLEASE REVIEW!!!!!!


	7. Love and Lies

I'm bored. I'm really, _really _bored. So I'm going to pass the time by writing another plot-twist filled chapter of The Shinigami-Father.

---

**Character Guide**

Here's a character guide. A few people have been asking questions, so I'm hoping this will clarify things and give people better mental images of what's going on.

-

_Issin Kurosaki_

Age: Mid 40's.

Appearance: Hair and eyes are the same as in anime. Wears a black suit and red tie.

-

_Ichigo Kurosaki_

Age: 18 (Originally 15, but I'm uping his age to make this more believable...)

Appearance: Hair and eyes are same as in anime. Often wears a suit and hat.

-

_Chad_

Age: 19

Appearance: Hair and eyes are same as in anime. Wears black pants, white long-sleeve shirt, red vest, and black shoes.

-

_Orihime_

Age: 18

Appearance: Hair and eyes are same as in anime. Wears same outfit as Chad.

-

_Rukia Kuchiki_

Age: 18

Appearance: Hair and eyes are same as in anime. Wears a waitress outfit exactly like her school uniform in the anime.

-

_Renji Abarai_

Age: 22

Appearance: Hair tied back in long pony tail. No tattoos. Wears a suit and hat.

-

_Kon_

Age?

Appearance: Unknown. Wears a trench-coat with upturned collar and a hat.

-

_Byakuya Kuchiki_

Age: 25

Appearance: Long black hair slicked back. Wears a black suit and red tie.

-

_Urahara Kisuke_

Age: Early 30's

Appearance: Hair and eyes same as in anime. Wears white over-alls, green undershirt, and his famous bucket hat of Awsomeness.

-

_Gin Ichimaru_

Age: Early 30's

Appearance: Hair, eyes, and fox-like smirk all same as in anime. Wears a grey suit, grey hat, and white gloves.

-

_Don Aizen_ (I don't know his full name. Oh well, who cares? Don Aizen sounds cool!)

Age: Mid 30's

Appearance: Hair, eyes, and glasses same as in anime. (Original appearance) Wears a grey suit and black tie.

---

That about wraps up the character guide for now. There will be many more to come, of course. Expect a lot of fan favorites to show up as anything and everything Mafia related. Cops, robbers, killers, pimps, et cetra, et cetra, et cetra!

Okay, enough ranting.

LETS GET ON WITH THE STORY!!!!!!

* * *

"Welcome, sir! What can I get for you today?" the innocent voice of Rukia Kuchiki greeted Renji the moment he entered the bistro he often visited.

"Coffee," he waved casually as he took a seat at a secluded table in the back of the restaraunt. There weren't many people eating at the moment. Just a few business men on their lunch break, and an elderly couple enjoying their Golden Years.

"Here you go..." Rukia popped up next to him moments later with a cup of coffee in hand. "On the house!"

"Okay, what do you want?" Renji sighed. The only time Rukia ever gave him free coffee was when she wanted a favor or something.

"What makes you think I'm trying to get something from you?" Rukia pouted.

"You've got that look in your eye..." Renji smirked. "Whenever I see that look in your eye, I know I'm in trouble. So what is it you want?"

"Wow, somebody's a bit hot under the collar. Having a bad day?" she sat down opposite of him at the table.

"You could say that..." Renji huffed.

"Well? What happened? Tell me!" Rukia smirked. She might have been the sister of a Mafioso, but she sure didn't act like it. She behaved like a silly girl most of the time, always toying with Renji and rarely acting serious.

"You really want to know?" Renji whispered, leaning over the table to be face-to-face with her.

"Yeah..." Rukia nodded, leaning in to face him as well.

"Awwww..." the elderly man eating in the restaraunt gently nudged his wife. "Would you look at that? They're about to kiss!"

"Young love..." the elderly woman sighed.

"I RAN INTO YOUR NEW BOYFRIEND!!!" Renji suddenly exclaimed.

"Huh?!" Rukia jumped in shock, surpised at his actions and what he'd said.

"Nevermind..." the elderly couple both muttered in unison.

"Yeah," Renji sneered. "And you know what happened?"

"You didn't kill him, did you?" Rukia whispered softly, a hint of fear apparent in her eyes.

"I owed him one, so I let him go..." Renji grumbled. "I told him next time I saw him I'd shoot him, though."

"I see..." Rukia nodded softly.

"And he says "hi"..." Renji grumbled.

"Huh?" Rukia arched an eyebrow.

"He told me to tell you "hi" for him..." Renji repeated, obviously not too pleased with the messages he was having to relay.

"Well that was... sweet of him... I guess..." she smiled awkwardly.

"Rukia..." Renji looked her in the eye and stated the next part very slowly: "HE. IS. A. KILLER."

"And so are you..." Rukia rolled her eyes.

"Yeah... well..." Renji didn't really know how to respond to that one. "He could have killed me the other day, though..."

"You were wearing a vest..." she shrugged. "And he didn't, though, did he? And he helped us out later on, remember?"

"How can I forget..." Renji whimpered as he rubbed the bandages over his nose.

"So as far as I'm concerned, he's a sweet-heart," Rukia smiled softly.

"Yeah, he was such a sweet-heart when he blew that Ishida guy's head apart..." Renji rolled his eyes.

"Oh, be quiet. You're a sweet-heart, too, and you were going to kill him at your next meeting!" Rukia rolled her eyes as well.

"That's not the point..." Renji muttered.

"You're really having a bad day, aren't you? What else is wrong?" Rukia asked with somewhat motherly concern.

"The... deal... didn't work out as planned..." Renji glanced from side to side, making sure that no one was listening in.

"Did Ichigo beat you to it?" Rukia arched an eyebrow.

"No..." Renji shook his head. "Gin Ichimaru did..."

"Don Aizen's guy? What's he need all of that stuff for?" Rukia asked, confused by this odd turn of events.

"I dunno..." Renji sighed. "But it can't be good..."

-------------

Sitting behind his desk in a dim-lit office, Don Aizen peered over his spectacles at his top enforcer, Gin Ichimaru, with a crooked smile. "So... What did you find out?" he asked as he casually sipped from a small glass of alcohol.

"The cease-fire is still in affect, from what I have seen," Gin, as always, replied with his eyes closed and a smirk on his face.

"Good... Good..." Don Aizen nodded, continuing to savor the exquisite taste of the drink.

"So, Boss, what's the plan?" Gin asked with his usual _know-it-all_ air.

"The plan?" Don Aizen cocked his head to the side. He placed the now-empty glass back on his desk and took a deep breath. "Gin, the plan is simple."

"Boss, we both have different definitions of "simple", remember? Simple for you is pulling a few strings. Simple for me is pulling a few triggers," Gin replied casually.

"Then it shall be simple for both of us..." Don Aizen smiled. "Very simple, indeed..."

"Well, what is it, then?" Gin asked again.

"The Kurosaki and Kuchiki Families have run this show for far too long. There's no way we can take them both on and still expect to survive. So..." Don Aizen flashed a mischevious smirk, "We're going to bring about Total War."

"Total War, you say?" Gin arched an eyebrow, even though his eyes remained eerily closed.

"Yes, Total War. We're going to cause the largest Gang War ever to grace the wonderous land of America! And when the dust settles and the smoke clears, we shall be the only ones who remain!" Don Aizen exclaimed with a raised fist.

"I see..." Gin nodded. "But how do you suppose we're going to bring such a conflict about?"

"Simple..." Don Aizen shrugged. "We stage a few strategic hits, point some people in the wrong direction, and watch the show..."

"I'm afraid I don't follow..." Gin frowned slightly, but almost instantly his smirk returned.

"Let me spell it out for you, then..." Don Aizen sighed. "We're going to kill the Kuchikis and the Kurosakis."

"The family members themselves?" Gin started to see where this was going.

"Indeed! And then their followers will be leaderless! And, naturally, they'll blame each other and declare a brutal and unorganized Gang War. Then we wipe out whatever's left and take control ourselves..." Don Aizen explained in detail.

"I see... I see..." Gin nodded slowly.

"Excellent!" Don Aizen clapped his hands together. "Now if you don't mind, go fetch Mr. Kenpachi! He should be waiting in the reception area outside..."

* * *

Dun... dun... DUNNNNNNNNN!!!!!!!!!!! 

Meh, the Renji and Rukia dialogue wasn't too good. But the main purpose of this chapter was the Aizen and Ichimaru interaction and plto twists! DUN DUN DUNNNN!!!!

Review, please!

Oh, and I don't know if they really had bullet-proof vests back then. There were some in The Godfather, but that was in the 40's, not the 20's... Oh well, if I'm wrong, I'm sorry. But don't expect this story to be perfect...


	8. Father of the Year

You know what sucks? I wrote this chapter a week ago. But when I tried to save it, logged me out and I lost 2 hours worth of writing. 2 HOURS. So here it is all over again. I hope you enjoy it. I put double the effort into it.

Cool, new site features! Check my bio for a picture of ol' Agent HUNK! (No, not the real me, you crazy stalkers!)

* * *

"You wanted to see me, Aizen?" Kenpachi Zaraki asked gruffly as he sat down on the stool in front of Don Aizen's desk. He was wearing a crisp white suit, white gloves, black shoes, and a red tie. A simple black eyepatch covered his right eye, while a scar ran from chin to forehead over his left eye. His long black hair was slicked all the way back, and atop his head sat a white fedora hat. And the grin he wore upon his face was made up nothing more than shiny white teeth and pure bloodlust. 

"Yes, Mr. Zaraki," Don Aizen nodded. "And it's _Don_ Aizen."

"Okay, _Don_ Aizen..." Kenpachi grinned sarcastically. He wasn't one for manners. Not when it was time to get down to business. "So what do you want today?"

"Just the usual," Don Aizen shrugged. "I need some cleaning done..."

"Cleaning, eh?" Kenpachi smirked. "What kind of cleaning?"

"Three carpets and two rugs..." Don Aizen held up five fingers.

"That's a lot of cleaning..." Kenpachi frowned. "Too much for me, in fact. And I don't do rugs, remember?"

"But they're old, and in need of a good cleaning!" Don Aizen replied cheerily. "You're the only man for the job!"

"Forget it!" Kenpachi sat up abruptly. "I ain't doing it! Its too much trouble, and I just ain't doing it!"

As Kenpachi walked towards the door, a smirk spread slowly across Don Aizen's face. "How much do you lack?" he asked just as Kenpachi grabbed the doorknob.

"What?" Kenpachi froze.

"How much do you lack, Mr. Zaraki?" Don Aizen repeated the question.

Kenpachi slowly turned back to face the Don. The look on his face was one of sorrow. His eyes were filled with pain, and his usual cocky grin was replaced with a hurt frown. "I... I'm not even half way there..."

"Not even half way?" Don Aizen replied with fake sympathy.

"That's what I just said, isn't it?" Kenpachi growled.

"Mr. Zaraki, if you do the cleaning I requested..." Don Aizen looked him dead in the eye, "I will pay for the rest of it."

"You... you what?" Kenpachi couldn't believe his ears. "Is this some sort of joke?"

"No," Don Aizen shook his head. "No joke. I'll pay the rest of it if you do the jobs I asked for."

"..." Kenpachi stared at the Don. His mind was at war with itself, unable to decide on what to do. Finally he gave his answer with a sigh. "Fine..."

"Excellent!" Don Aizen clapped his hands together jovially. "Gin will give you the paperwork on your way out..."

"Alright..." Kenpachi replied sadly. "But just one thing..."

"What's that?" Don Aizen arched an eyebrow.

"If you go back on your word, or betray me in any way..." Kenpachi growled, "I _will_ kill you."

"That's understandable," Don Aizen smiled. "But I assure you, I will hold up my end of the bargain."

"Hmph..." Kenpachi still didn't believe him completely. But he really didn't have any other choice. If Don Aizen was actually willing to pay that much, Kenpachi would do whatever he wanted. And apparently he wanted some cleaning done. Three carpets and two rugs. Three adults and two teens...

---

"I wonder what's taking so long?" Ikkaku Madarame muttered under his breath. Sitting in the driver seat of a parked car outside of Don Aizen's house, he was growing bored with just waiting. He had on a grey suit and white tie, but unlike most people he didn't wear a hat. Probably because he liked to show off his bald head.

"I'm sure the Boss is just taking his time..." Yumichika Ayasegawa sighed. He was sitting in the passenger seat, and had on a stark black suit, black gloves, and a black hat, which all matched with his black hair and made him look quite snazzy. In his own eyes, at least.

"Oh, here he comes!" Ikkaku suddenly blurted out. Sure enough, Kenpachi Zaraki was storming towards their car. He had a bundle of papers in his hand and a grim look on his face. "How'd it go, Boss?" Ikkaku asked as he threw the back door open.

"Three adults and two teens..." Kenpachi sighed as he took a seat in the back of the car.

"Five people?" Ikkaku arched an eyebrow. "That seems a bit much..."

"And I thought you didn't normally whack teens?" Yumichika arched an eyebrow as well.

"I know..." Kenpachi frowned. "But Don Aizen said he'd pay for the rest of it..."

"The rest of it!?" Ikkaku's mouth dropped open in shock.

"That's a lot of money..." Yumichika shook his head.

"I know..." Kenpachi held up the papers in his hand. "Here are the hits."

"Hmmm..." Ikkaku took the papers and flipped through them. "Um... Boss... You know who these people are, right?"

"Yeah," Kenpachi growled with a smile. "And your point?"

"I'm just making sure you know what you're getting yourself into..." Ikkaku shrugged as he handed Yumichika the papers.

"Hmmm..." Yumichika flipped through them. "Isshin Kurosaki... Ichigo Kurosaki... Renji Abarai... Rukia Kuchiki... Byakuya Kuchiki... Wow... Quite a list, Boss!"

"Yeah..." Kenpachi smirked. "Its going to be a bit of a challenge..."

"But it's all worth it..." Ikkaku pointed out.

"Yeah, I'd say its a worthy exchange..." Yumichika nodded.

"Hah hah!" Kenpachi suddenly laughed. "Worthy exchange? I'm going to kill _five people_ just to see my daughter again! You think that's a worthy exchange?!"

"Uh..." Ikkaku and Yumichika leaned backwards. Kenpachi was known for getting a bit crazy at times. Scratch that. He was crazy all the time.

"WELL ITS NOT!!!" Kenpachi snarled angrilly, bashing his fists on the headrests of their seats. "I'M WILLING TO KILL A HUNDRED PEOPLE!!! A THOUSAND PEOPLE!!! **WHATEVER IT TAKES**!!! Just as long as I get to see her again..." he sighed, suddenly calm and composed.

"Wow, I wish my Dad had cared that much about me..." Ikkaku chuckled.

"Yeah, me too..." Yumichika smirked.

"I deserve a Father of the Year Award or something..." Kenpachi grinned. "Now lets get back to base. We need to get this planned out as soon as possible. I want it done fast and easy. You two take the Kuchiki's and their goon, and I'll take the Kurosakis. I don't care how you do it. Just make sure they die, and stay dead. I don't want a repeat of last time..."

"Its not my fault!" Yumichika exclaimed indignantly. "I shot him in the chest! How was I supposed to know the guy had some freaky medical condition and had his heart on the other side of his chest!" (A/N: There really is a condition like that.)

"That's why you shoot them in the _head_..." Ikkaku rolled his eyes.

"But that's too messy..." Yumichika looked like he was about to gag. "Way too much blood and brains and EW!!!"

"Pansy..." Ikkaku grumbled.

"Baldy..." Yumichika snickered.

"How?" Kenpachi sighed to himself. "How did I get stuck with these guys? How?"

* * *

PLOT TWIST EXTRAVAGANZA!!!! And plenty more to come...

Review, please!


	9. Fatherly Advice

Hm...

I honestly don't know what to say. Its been a really screwed up existance for me over the last few months. I kinda lost interest in writing due to some serious family issues I had to deal with. I got kinda depressed for awhile, especially after what could be considered the worst day of my life, which I think it would be best not to discuss here right now. 

But have you ever heard the saying "Its always darkest before the dawn?" Well, its true. I hit rock bottom, and began to claw my way back up. Life started to get better. I became my usual happy self again. And then...

I got a girlfriend! I know... Shocking, isn't it? She's absolutely amazing. She's funny, beautiful, and just as crazy as I am. She's a huge anime fan, too.She especially loves Bleach! And she likes to write fan fiction, no less... Since I met her, I've never been happier. So now, after several months of absence, I've decided to start writing again. You can thank my girlfriend's awesomeness and the constant nagging of my best friend Dr. Insane-O for this, folks... 

I love this story. Its one of my personal favorites. So I'm going to do my best to finish it. 

So who's in the mood for a Random Mafia History Lesson?

During the 1920's, gangsters had a huge arsenal of weapons on hand. Handguns such as revovlers and semi-automatic pistols, both of which are still used today, were in plentiful supply. Shotguns and rifles were also easy to procure. Machine guns came in the form of the Thomspon Automatic Machine Gun, which was actually sold commercially in mail-order catalogues. All it took was a letter and some money, and you'd get your own machine gun in the mail. Other weapons included knives and explosives, such as dynamite. 

Okay, that's enough for today. Lets get to the story, shall we? 

* * *

"So... Don Aizen purchased an entire shipment of Thompsons?" Don Isshin Kurosaki mused over the facts his son had given him whilst stoicly puffing on an expensive cigar. He was, as always, sitting at his desk in his dim-lit office, and was leaning back in his seat with a casual and relaxed air. "What would he need those for? He doesn't even have enough men to use those..."

"I know. Maybe he wants to resell them for a profit or something?" Ichigo shrugged. He was leaning against a wall near Isshin's desk, his arms crossed and his usual grimace plastered on his face. "I don't see what he'd need them for, otherwise..."

"This is still an unsettling fact. I'll see if I can find out more information on the subject. So, my son..." a smile slowly crept across the Godfather's face. "Any news on the Kuchiki dame?"

"Heh..." Ichigo's grimace transformed into a smirk. "Not much. Apparently, she's been putting in a good word for me with her brother, and trying to convince him that we Kurosakis ain't all that bad."

"That would be like convincing a rock that it can swim..." Don Isshin rolled his eyes. "Well, at least she's talking nice about you. Maybe you should try to take her out to dinner or something some time..."

"You do realize that you're telling your son to try to be romantic with the daughter of your enemy, right?" Ichigo's smirk deepened. 

"Son..." Don Isshin slowly stood up, taking a deep breath of cigar smoke as he did so. Once on his feet, he slowly exhaled the fumes, gathering his thoughts in the process. He then placed the cigar atop the ash-tray on his desk, and turned to face his son. "I am well aware of her position, and yours as well." Walking over to Ichigo, Don Isshin held out his arms and placed his hands on his son's shoulders. Looking him in the eye, he said: "If you have a chance of happiness, always strive to achieve it. If associating yourself with the enemy will lead to greater things for you, son, then by all means, continue on the path before you. This girl seems to have taken a liking to you, and I believe it is safe for me to assume that you share the same feelings for her. So, go make arrangements with her to dine at a nice little bistro this week. I'm sure things will work out great..."

"Heh..." Ichigo grinned. "So you want me to do this because it will make me happy? And not because it might cause the relationship between the Kurosaki and Kuchiki Families to become less hostile, if not friendly?"

"That thought did cross my mind..." Don Isshin smiled at his son's response. "But I assure you, I've made this decision based on your interests, not my own... So, go!" he slapped Ichigo's back, and pointed at the door. "Go, and be happy..."

"Okay, okay... You ain't gotta throw me out of your office!" Ichigo smiled as he headed for the door. "I don't see why you're so happy about this. Its not like I'm getting married or anything!"

"Hah!" Isshin let out a laugh at that last part. "Goodbye, son. And good luck!" However, once Ichigo closed the door behind him, Isshin's smile faded. "I hope he knows what he's getting himself into..."

------------

Meanwhile,at the restaraunt where Rukia worked, the discussion between her and Renji was still continuing. And by now, the focus had shifted back to Ichigo. "So..." Rukia smirked at Renji. "What did you tell him about me?"

"Meh, not much..." Renji shrugged, casually sipping his coffee.

"Liar..." Rukia continued to smirk.

"No, I really didn't say much about you..." Renji continued to sip the coffee, so as not to have to look Rukia in the eye.

"Tell me, or I'll make you pay for your coffee..." she threatened.

"And in turn, I won't leave you a tip..." Renji replied.

"You don't tip me that often, anyway..." Rukia shrugged. "So come on, what did you tell him?"

"Grr..." Renji growled, his patience finally breaking. "I only told him that you'd been talking good about him. He seemed to enjoy hearing that..."

"Really, now?" Rukia smiled happily. "I'm sure he'll get up the guts to come see me some time, then..."

"Which is why I'm not leaving..." Renji commented casually as he continued to sip his coffee.

"Huh?" Rukia's smile faded. "What do you mean?" 

"Your brother told me to keep an eye on you..." Renji explained. "I'm supposed to stay here and pretend to be a customer or something. That way, if Ichigo or any other Kurosaki thug tries anything, I can be on hand to help with the situation. Oh, and can I get a refill?" he grinned, holding up the now-empty coffee cup.

"Sure..." Rukia glared sarcastically at him. She didn't much like the idea of being shadowed by anyone, even her friend Renji. It made her feel like she had now freedom of her own. She hated being involved with the Mafia, and ever attempt she made to try and be normal was met with either somebody following her around, or a simple "no" from her brother. _Oh well... At least its only Renji, and not some other thug that stares at my butt or something... _

-------------

A few hours later, the ringing of the bell over the bistro's entrance caught Rukia's attention. Renji also looked up from the newspaper that he'd been "reading" for the past hour and a half. Rukia smiled, and Renji frowned. The person they'd both been expecting had finally walked into the restaraunt: Ichigo Kurosaki. Wearing grey pants, a white long-sleeved shirt, a grey vest, and a white hat, Ichigo looked like a normal guy who'd decided to drop in for a bite to eat. 

"I've been meaning to eat here for quite awhile..." Ichigo mused to himself. "Hey buddy, is the food here good?" Ichigo asked a "random" red-haired man at a table nearby. 

"Yeah..." Renji grumbled. "Its good..." _And I hope you choke on it and die..._

"Right this way, sir..." Rukia walked towards the new customer, and with a smile gestured for him to follow her. "I'll have you seated in just a moment..."

"Thanks..." Ichigo smiled at the waitress. He followed her to a table near the back of the restaraunt, and took a seat there upon her gesturing. Before she could even ask what he wanted, he had an answer ready. "Coffee. Just coffee..." 

"Cream? Sugar?" Rukia asked. Ichigo simply shook his head. "Anything else, sir?" Once again, Ichigo shook his head. "What's wrong, cat got your tongue?" Her customer simply smirked, and let out a slight _hmph_. "Its okay..." she whispered softly. "I won't bite. And neither will Renji, if he knows what's good for him..."

"I heard that..." Renji muttered to himself accross the restaraunt. 

"Sorry..." Ichigo smiled politely. "I've never been that smooth of a talker around pretty girls..."

"Aw..." Rukia blushed slightly. "How sweet. But flattery will get you nowhere. Or at least, it won't get you free coffee..."

"Oh, for cryin' out loud..." Renji groaned. _If I have to listen to this for the rest of the day, I swear I'll either kill him, or myself. Whichever one comes first!_

* * *

In case you're wondering, the Kenpachi plot will come into play in a few chapters. For now, I need to get the Ichigo and Rukia plot further developed. Also, I've got to throw in a few other character placements, in order to set up future plots and plot twists...

Thanks for reading, folks. I'm glad to finally be able to write again...


	10. Making Arrangements

Random facts, anyone? 

Bonnie and Clyde were a pair of bank robbers during the early 1930's. Sometimes viewed as "heroes", or more-so mordern-day "Robin Hoods", the couple are two of the most famous gangsters ever to commit a crime. They drove across America, robbing banks, gas stations, and small stores. Eventually, they were killed in an ambush by several police officers along a deserted road. Their killing is sometimes viewed as unfair, if not murder. The controversy still exists to this day. 

Back to the story... 

* * *

Renji was feeling positively homicidal. It was almost three in the afternoon, and he was getting tired of listening to Ichigo and Rukia flirt with each other. Apparently, every time she brought him something - more coffee, a sandwitch he'd ordered, extra napkins - they'd talk for several seconds, exchange subtle compliments, and even pass notes written on napkins. _This is making me SICK..._ he mentally groaned. 

It was annoying him on so many different levels. For one thing, Ichigo was the enemy - a Kurosaki, and the son of their leader, no less. And yet Rukia was practically flirting him to death. _Is that even possible? Who cares, as long as it leaves Ichigo dead. Heh heh..._ Rukia and Renji had also been friends for years. Renji wasn't a top enforcer of the Kuchiki family for no reason. He'd been a childhood friend of Rukia's, and he'd ended up working primarily as her shadow and/or bodyguard for the past few years. And then of course, it was just disgusting to see people trying to hard to be cute with each other...

Eventually, Rukia swaggered over to Renji's table to see if he needed anything to eat. "So..." he whispered sarcastically, "How are things with lover-boy?"

"Good..."she giggled. "He wants me to go out to dinner with him sometime this week..."

"Really?" Renji frowned. "Rukia, are you actually considering dating this guy?"

"Maybe..." Rukia smirked mischeviously. "Why wouldn't I?"

"We've been over this already..."he groaned, letting his head sink down and smack his forehead lightly on the table. 

"And I won the arguement, if I recall correctly..." she smirked. 

"Yes, but..." Renji had to stop and gather his thoughts. There was a very big issue involved in all this, and he didn't know how to tell Rukia without making her mad at him and her brother. He finally decided to just tell her. "Rukia, your brother won't be too happy to hear about this. He might not even allow it!"

"Well, of course! I know how he feels about the Kurosaki Family. I know he'll be upset about me doing anything remotely nice with Ichigo..."she replied, rolling her eyes.

"You don't understand. He wants to meet Ichigo before he allows anything between you both!" Renji groaned.

"What!" Rukia paled. "What do you mean he wants to meet Ichigo?"

"I talked to him this morning. When he told me to watch over you, he gave me another set of orders. If Ichigo is to take you to dinner, or anything of that sort, I am supposed to convince him to come with us to meet your brother. His exact words were, 'I want to meet the man that Rukia seems so enthralled with. I wish to see if he's up to my standards, and if he's worthy of Rukia's affection, and my respect.' He told me the sooner, the better. There's still plenty of sunlight left in the day, so maybe we can just go ahead and get it over with. So... yeah... I guess you'd better talk to Ichigo about all that..." he sighed.

"Wonderful..." Rukia sighed sadly as she turned to go back to Ichigo's table under the guise of a coffee refill. _I doubt he's going to be fond of that idea... This is horrible! What if he doesn't-_

"Oh, and can I have a refill?" Renji grinned, waving his coffee mug behind Rukia's back.

_Gr..._ she turned around and glared at Renji. "Right away, sirrrr..." 

"Don't be mad at me!" he shrugged. "I'm only the messenger..."

After refilling Renji's coffee - and almost spilling some of the boiling substance into his lap in order to scare him - Rukia finally returned to Ichigo's table to converse with him. "Um... Ichigo... There'sa problem..." she sighed sadly.

"Hm?" Ichigo looked up from his turkey sandwitch, his mouth full. He quickly chewed and swallowed what was in his mouth, and after gasping for air momentarilly, he responded to her statement. "What sort of problem?"

"Um..." she bit her lip nervously. "My brother... Don Kuchiki... He... Well, he wants to meet you before we can eat dinner, or anything like that."

"Oooooohhh..." Ichigo slowly nodded his head. "I see..." _Crap. Crap. CRAP! This is bad... I can't just go meet the leader of a rival family! They might try to kill me! They-_

"He wants to make sure you're 'worthy of my affection, and his respect,' in his own words..." Rukia sighed deeply. "I'm really sorry..."

"Its alright..." Ichigo shrugged. "Um... When would the proposed meeting take place?" 

"As soon as possible..." she replied. "Today would be good, since it would get everything out of the way..."

"Um..." Ichigo scratched his chin. "Hm. Let me finish my sandwitch. Then I think I'll go make a few phone calls. Perhaps I can work something out..." he smirked. _This is not going to end well..._

"Really? So you're okay with it?" Rukia smiled brightly. "I guess I'd better go talk to Renji... He's supposed to escort us."

"Yeah, I'm fine with all of that..." Ichigo grinned, trying to hide his shaking hands under the table. He then nodded towards Renji. "Go talk to Renji, then..." 

"Okay. I guess I'll bring you some napkins in a few minutes, sir..." she said out loud, with a wink. 

"Yeah, napkins..." Ichigo smiled nervously. "Wonderful..." _I think I'm about to throw up..._

----------

Not long afterwards, Ichigo found himself crammed in a phone booth outside the restaraunt. He sighed continuously as the phone rang, awaiting his father to answer the call. Eventually, he heard his father's voice on the other end of the line. "Hello, Ichigo..."

"How'd you know it was me calling?" Ichigo arched an eyebrow at his father's answer. Usually they had to state a few secret words or something...

"I've been expecting you to call me..." Isshin's voice replied somberly. "She wants you to go see her brother, doesn't she?" 

"Yeah... How'd you know that?" Ichigo was confused. Something strange was going on, and he was the only one left out of the loop. "What's all this about?" 

"Its complicated. If two members of rival families are to have any sort of relationship, it must be permitted by a higher authority. You're both immediate family to the Dons of your families. Thus, you need the Dons' permission..." Isshin explained.

"And you already gave yours..." Ichigo remembered their earlier conversation.

"And now you need Don Kuchuki's..." 

"And how do I go about doing that?" 

"You may be asked some questions. You may have to do a favor or two for the family..." Isshin explained. "It differs every time. They might make you fight one of their best enforcers. For all we know, they could even test your cooking skills... There's no way of knowing for sure what'll happen."

"Oh... I see..." Ichigo prayed it wasn't the last one. He couldn't cook anything. Not without burning the meal or the kitchen it was being prepared in, at least...

"So... What are you going to do, son?" 

"Well... What sort of Kurosaki would I be if I let a stupid test get in my way?" 

"That's my boy..."

* * *

Yeah, I totally made up all that stuff about meeting the Dons and what-not. I just have a cool idea for a scene, and I needed to do some plot stuff to make it happen. Heh heh...

Next chapter: Don Byakuya finally makes an appearance!

Thanks for reading, folks. It means a lot to me... I didn't expect this many people to start reading my stuff the day I got back. Let alone give me so many great reviews... Thanks folks! 


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